2015 Fellows

Brenda was born and raised in Argentina, where she completed an undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences. Brenda moved to Canada in September 2014 to pursue a M.Sc. in Integrated Water Resources Management at McGill University.

2014 Fellows

Kenzie Bunting studies English and Native Studies student at the University of Alberta and she is expecting to graduate in December of 2014. Kenzie especially enjoys studying Cree and learning about relationships and alliances between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples in Canada. ...

Malaya is an Inuit student in the Faculty of Arts in Psychology. Prior to becoming a student at the University of Alberta, she was a graphic designer. Her major interests are in Canadian Aboriginal relations, art and mental health.

Rachel Harris is an amateur chef, cat owner, and Masters of Arts in Geography with collaboration in Aboriginal Health candidate at the University of Toronto. Rachel has worked extensively with on and off-reserve communities in the areas of education, recreation, health, and social services. ...

Alex Kruize moved to Canada from New Zealand in 2013, and currently lives in Calgary. He has previously worked as a lawyer for Maori in the South Island of New Zealand working on land issues. Alex is interested in issues around land use and access to justice. ...

Nisha is completing her Bachelor of Commerce at the University in Business Economics and Law. She is passionate about non-profits and leadership, and hopes to work in the public sector. As well, Nisha is competitive debater and enjoys public speaking immensely.

Charlene is entering her final year of the nutrition major, and she intends to work in community nutrition. She has a great interest in working with communities to remove barriers to nutritious diets. A healthy diet does not have a single definition, and she wants to empower others to make healthier choices within their own cultural and historical food contexts. ...

Jason is entering his second year of Engineering at the University of Alberta. He has interests in photography, computer software and hardware, physics, and automobiles. In his free time he runs or bikes, plays soccer and video games, or relaxes by hiking or skiing in the Canadian Rockies.

Current Projects

Working with the Dene Tha’ Health Centre, community members, and community groups as appropriate, the graduate fellow will work closely with IC-IMPACTS, a Canadian Network Centre of Excellence, to further the health research needs of the community and to develop an explicit project job description for future projects. ...

Working with community members, business leaders, and mentors from the University of Alberta, two Fellows will undertake a research project to analyze various community uses for a large plot of land belonging to the Beaver First Nation in north-eastern Alberta. This will include analyzing the land’s agricultural potential and investigating market factors that could contribute to providing income for the benefit of members of the Beaver First Nation community members.

The Pangnirtung Print Shop/ Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts & Crafts houses world-class Inuit art. Working with the Uqqurmiut Centre staff, the Hamlet of Pangnirtung, and local artists, the Fellow will help to create ways to showcase, feature, and display work by local artists. This may include cataloguing, organizing and digitizing historical prints; the creation of online selling tools; the formation of pop-up displays or galleries; and other projects to support local artists as discovered through the course of the placement.

Working with local groups, a media consultant, and Dene Tha’ staff, the Fellow will support the development of a radio broadcasting program for Dene Tha’ First Nation. This may involve helping to create a corporate society for the CKCA-FM Dene Tha Communications Society radio station; supporting a training program for community-based radio; and providing general communications and administrative support in the development of a successful community radio station.

The Pangnirtung Health Committee is a sub-committee of Hamlet Council that comprises a group of community members with an interest in improving community health and wellbeing. Working with this group and other institutions and community members, the Fellow will research local food prices; compare and contrast nutritional choices based on cost and popularity; set specific outcome objectives with the Health Committee; and come up with a way to measure the costs/ impacts associated with nutrition choices in Pangnirtung. ...

The Youth Coding Club is a new group under the Making Connections for Youth program. Working with the youth coordinator, community and business partners, the Hamlet of Pangnirtung, and local youth, the student Fellow will provide technical coding, gaming, and computer expertise; lead weekly club meetings; and create a plan to ensure the club’s longevity and ongoing support.